CASE
- Abbreviation
- CASE
- Also known as
- coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers
CASE stands for coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers, an industry grouping of product types that are formulated from similar raw materials, such as polymers, resins, solvents, pigments and additives, and that share many of the same chemistry suppliers.
What does CASE stand for?
CASE is an acronym used across the chemical industry for four related product families:
- Coatings: paints, varnishes and protective and industrial coatings.
- Adhesives: products that bond materials together.
- Sealants: products that fill gaps and block the passage of air, water or other substances.
- Elastomers: rubber-like polymers that stretch and recover, used in products from gaskets to flexible parts.
The grouping exists because these products are built from overlapping chemistries, such as polyurethanes, acrylics, epoxies and silicones, and are sold by overlapping raw material suppliers.
The role of additives
Beyond their main polymer or resin, CASE formulations depend on small amounts of additives that control how the product is made, applied and performs:
- Wetting agents and dispersants for pigment dispersion and substrate wetting.
- Defoamers, flow and leveling agents.
- Coalescing agents in waterborne coatings.
- Rheology modifiers, adhesion promoters and stabilizers.
Trends shaping CASE formulation
Regulations and customer demands around volatile organic compounds have pushed the industry toward waterborne and high-solids systems. Waterborne systems place greater demands on surfactants and wetting agents, because water has a much higher surface tension than organic solvents. Interest in bio-based and more biodegradable ingredients is also growing.
Frequently asked questions
No. It is an industry and market term used by suppliers, analysts and trade groups.
Water’s high surface tension makes it harder for a waterborne coating to wet pigments and spread over substrates, so wetting agents help it do so.
Sources
- CASE market and chemistry overviews, Industry references (e.g. American Chemistry Council)